Producer-gas apparatus.



No. 846,357. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

H. P. SMITH.

PRODUCER GAS APPARATUS. APPLIG'ATIOAI FILED APR. 11, 1906.

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'V ammm PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

H. P. SMITH. PRODUCER GAS APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APB.17, 1906.

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ASH DOOR fiarry-zfmiih as a 4 '3 vwen toz lcmmw Wm eases 565M N0.8f16,357. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907 H. F. SMITH.

PRODUCER GAS APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APE.17, 1906.

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HARRY F. SMITH, or LEXINGTON, OHIO.

PRODUCER-GAS Aeeaearus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed April 17, 1906. Serial No. 312,231.

of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Producer-Gas Apparatus, of which thefollowingis a specification.

My invention relates more particularlyto what may be termed gas-producers? for treating substances or fuels containing a considerable amount of volatile hydrocarbons associated. with a certain amount ,of fixed carbon, of which lignite coals and bituminous coals are familiar examples. While reference shall particularly be had herein to the use of lignite or brown coals, it will be un derstood that any intention to confine myself to such use is hereby disclaimed. llts object is to provide for the aforesaid treatment of ma-' terials in a simple, economic, and effective manner in generating the required gas.

Said invention consists of certain features substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed,

and particularly pointed out by the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a sectional'elevation thereof. Fig. 2 isla horizontal section produced upon the line w as of Fig. 1'. Fig.3 is a sectional elevation of a modification of said invention; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section thereof, taken on the line 3, y of Fig. 3.

In carrying out my invention I provide a casing or shel tory lining 2, and suitably suspend or support in position by chains 3 or otherwise from-the base of said lining or refractory material a grate 4 for the support of the fuel. Said casing has applied or fitted upon its upper end a charging-opening 5, which is closed by a cover 6.

Arranged within the casing 1, about centrally of the combustion or fuel chamber 7, is a vertical tube or cylinder'S, of metal or other suitable material, fixed in suspended position in any suitable Way, preferably as shown, with its upper end extending. somewhat above the combustion-chamber and its lower end terminating directly above the grate and at a suitable distance from it, which distance is determined by the characterof the particular fuel used.

A .pipe 9 has its inner delivery end secured to and communicating with the cylinder or tube 8 at its extreme upper end and extends therefrom out through the casing 1 for intro- 1,which has a .suitable refrac ducing air or a mixture of air and steam via said cylinder or tube into the producer or, apparatus. I

i A rotary fan is arranged in a case 10, having a suction-pipe connection 11- with the interioror chamber of the casing or shell 1 at its upper end and a blast-delivery-pipe connection 12 with a pipe 13 arranged within the pipe 9 and having an arm extending down into the cylinder or tube 8 and delivering thereinto near its lower end, the purpose of which will be described later.

It is noted that a characteristic of the fuels of the class above mentioned is thatwhen they are heated to a sufficiently-high temperature the volatile hydrocarbons are elimi nated, leaving the fixed carbon behind or intact in the form ofcoke or charcoal. The

thus-disposed-of hydrocarbons contain much tarry fmatter and also gases of high heating Value which cause difliculties in producers of the ordinary type, thus preventing the use therein of this class of fuels for many kinds of works. It is therefore very desirable to handle fuels of this class in such a manner that the volatile hydrocarbons referred to sh all be completely converted into fixed gases of relatively low heating value, so as to approximate in composition the gas generated by the action of the air and steam on the fixed carbons contained in these fuels.

The operation of ti is apparatus ma be stated, briefly, as follows: It having een filled with fuel, suitable kindling is dropped through the cylinder or tube 8, so as to lo ge or rest upon'the fuel just below said tube or cylinder, which kindling is then fired or ignited. The cover 14, previously removed from the upper end of the cylinder or tube 8, is replaced, and the register or damper 15 (an adjunctive part of said cover) is closed. A

blast of air is now suitably generated in a. well-known way for delivery into and through the pipe 9, Wlich air-blast also 'assing throng passage out through the grate 4, being finally delivered through the pipe 16, constituting the cylinder or tube 8 and t rough the fuel after leaving the latter continues its ICC part of the fuel charge all the volatile hydrocarbons which it may contain. After these .fresh fuel 18. After this 6 is removed, and the opening thus produced in the top of the producer results in inducing the passage or delivery of a part of the aforesaid blast downward through the tube or cylinder 8 and thence upward through the blast has continued for a short time the parts of the fuel 17 and 18 will have been thoroughly coked and the fuelintermedi'ate of17 and 18 will have become well fired or'ignited, when the apparatus will be in condition to begin the opera- 7 tion'of manufacturing the gas.

. When the producer is operated by suction, the means for producing such suction (which may be either a gas-engine supplied from the producer or a gas-exhauster of suitable construct1on)1s put 111 operation and "air and steami supplied in suitable proportions throu h the pipe 9, the damper or register 15 in t e cover 14 being opened at this time. The air and steam entering the apparatus through the pipe 9 are impelled by the suction created at 16 to pass into and down through the cylinder or tube 8, whence a part of said commingled steam and air will be drawn directly through the incandescent fuel or mass 17 19, converting the latter into gas in accordance with the well-known laws governing suchoperations. ft is obvious, however, from the construction of the apparatus that the pressures existing at either end of the passage of cylinder 8 must be the same or differ -by a very slight amount only. It is also evident that the combustion of the fuel between 18 and 19 will have a tendency to cause apart of the air flowing through cylinder or passage 8' to be diverted and pass upward through the fuel 18 by natural ture within said passage, the combustion taking place between 18 and '19 continually generating heat, which passes upward into the fresh fuel 18, thereby eliminating the volatile hydrocarbons, or, in other. words, coking the fuel. These volatile hydrocarbons pass upward into the to of the pro ducer-chamber and thence again downward throu h the opening in the coverlt, con-' trolle by the damper 15, and accordingly enter the upper end of the cylinder or passage 8. Here they are mixed with the incom- 'ing fresh air and upon contact with the incandescent fuel opposite the lower end of the cylinder or passage 8 are completel burned or consumed, being associated wit an excess of air. The products of this combus tion consist of carbon dioxid and vapor of water, and these products of combustion in passing downward through the incandescent fuel 18 will be disassociated into carbon monoxid and hydrogen, producing in this way a gas of exactly the same chemical draft, owingin the burn composition as that from the fixed carbon or solid constituent of the fuel. It is also here noted that the shallowest part of the fuel-bed is directly under the central passage or cylinder8 and that the tendency of the coal is to her toward the center, the same sloping cen trally at its bottom, and that as a consetral portion of the fuel-bed and will there be fused into a clinker or clinkers by the intense" combustion occurring at this oint. The temperature here is manifestly iigher than at any other point in the fuel-bed, owing to the fact, as already indicated, of the greatest shallowness'of said bed at said point and the generation of the greatest or intensest draft here than elsewhere. In practice these cljnkers are found to form-in'this part of the fuel-bed only and to lie a few inches beneath the upper surface of the fire-bed at said point. When sufficient ash-has accumulated to form a clinker of considerable size, said clinker is removed from above by engaging or it by means of a'suitably-constructe grapple or tongs and withdrawing it through the passage or c linder 8 upward. From the foregoing it will fie seen that a gas is produced which is not only perfectly free from tar andother undesirable ingredients, but which is'alsouniform in chemical compo- -sition. i; K

In case the fuel-is very free burning and thet'endency of the apparatus would be to permit too rapid combustion between the fuel 19'and'18 the draft in this direction may be controlled or restricted by suitably manipulating-the damper 1 1. In case the fuel is of very slow burning character and the natural draft caused by the difference in temperatures between the gases in the fuel 18 and the forcarbonization or coking of the coal then service the contrivance 10, as previously described. The action of the blast thus produced has. the effect to draw gases through the pipe-11' and deliver them, through the fan-casing 10 and the inner pipe 13, into the passage or cylinder 8, whence they pass into and through the fuel, thus creating a conby (ithe arrcws 20, as will be readily appreciate v In the modification asdisclosed by Figs. 3 and t it will be noted that the same is inevery essential particular thesame as the preferred-form of the disclosure of the invention, excepting the omission of the blast-genand its adjunctive artsas, for instance, the pipes 11,12, an 13.

claim 1.111 a gas-producer generator operated by inverted combustion or downdraft, means crating device (designated generally as 10) feed from the circumference of the fuel-chamquence all ash will be delivered into this cencylinder or passage 8 is insufficiently rapid a suction action is generated by bringing into I tinuous air-current along the lines indicated Maser for introducing the elements promotive of combustion, as air and steam, comprising a passage arranged centrally within the fuel chamber or magazine and having its lower end delivering below the unignited fuel mass, into the ignited portion thereof and its up er end provided with a closure having suitab yopening into the com ustion-cham er and means, including an outlet, for passing the air and steam through said ignited or incandescent fuel, and conducting away the gas thus generated or produced, below the firegrate.

31 In a gas generator or producer operated by inverted combustion or downdraft, a centrally-located air and steam inlet passage having its upper end provided with a closure having suitabl -controlledf assages opening into the com ustion-cham er and a fuelmagazine provided with an inlet for air and an outlet for products of combustion and volatile gases, a mixing-chamber or burner wherein the volatile gases from the fuel-magazine and the air passing into the centrall arranged airpassage' may be thoroug y mixed and burned, and means for assing the products of combustion, along wit the commingledair, into the gas-generating portion of the fuel-bed. v V

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a central suspended air and steam passage, also removed from both the top of the pr'oducerchamber and the firegrate' below, and delivering into the fuelchamber, an air and steam inlet pipe delivering into the upper end of said steam and air passage, and a gas-outlet discharging at a point below the grate, said suspended air and,

steam passage having a closure provided with suitabl -controlled passages opening into the com ustion-chamber.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a central suspended air and steam passage delivering into the fuelchamber, and having a closure provided with suitably-controlled passages opening into the combustion-chamber, said passage being also removed from both the top of the producerchamber and the fire-grate below, an air and steam inlet ipe delivering into said passage, and means or generating a continuous aircurrent through the fuel-chamber via said air and steam passage.

6 An apparatus of the character described, comprising a central suspended airpassage delivering into the fuel-chamber and having its roducer-chamber-contained end adapted to e closed during the suction action induced in said producer-chamber,

said passage being also removed both from the top of the producer-chamber and the firegrate below, a blast-generating device having a suctionor inlet pipe connection with the producer-chamber at its upper end, and a blast-delivery pipe connected to said blast generating dev1ce and discharging into said air and steam passage near its lower end.

,7. An apparatus of the, character 'described, comprising a fuel-chamber, a central air and steam passage delivering into said fuel-chamber and removed both from the top of the producerchamber and the fire-grate below, an air and steam inlet pipe delivering into-said passage, means for controlling the air-inlet end of said passage, a gas-outlet discharging at a point below the fire-grate, and a blast-generating device for inducing continuous air-suctioncurrent through the fuelchamber via said air and steam passage.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, HARRY F; SMITH. Witnesses:

D. F. Rrronrs,

WM. H. Emm 

